


The Enemy Within

by Belsmomaus



Series: The Adventures of Hux and Ren - Kylux-Week 2016 [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Cats, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Hux loses it, Kylo Is A Good Boyfriend, M/M, Mind Games, Paranoia, Phasma is a great friend, Snoke is a cat, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, alcohol is no solution, as in lots of fluffy moments in between the other stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-07 22:05:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8817898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belsmomaus/pseuds/Belsmomaus
Summary: The cat is just there all of a sudden and refuses to leave again. They call it Snoke, after Kylo’s recently deceased mentor.And if there’s one thing Hux is sure of, then it’s this: that cat HATES him!That's when the weird things start happening, Snoke always right in the middle of it.And Hux slowly, but surely, begins to question his sanity.(Kylux-Week 2016 - Day 7: Supreme Leader Snoke)





	1. The Seed of Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first try at suspense (and horror, if you can really call it that). 
> 
> At first I wanted to write something about Hux and Kylo overthrowing Snoke together but my muse wasn't very fond of that idea. Instead it showed me this image of a black cat with the name of Snoke over and over again.  
> And somehow, this came out of it. And it turned out more creepy than expected. But hey, cats CAN be creepy and Snoke sure as hell is as well. So it kind of fits.  
> Also, it's funny. In a way. 
> 
> The other two chapters will most likely be posted on Tuesday and Thursday.
> 
> Have fun!

Chop. Chop. Scratch.

The sound of the knife against the chopping board as he cut up bell peppers and tomatoes and scraped them into the bowl of salad was soothing in its simple monotony. Allowing his mind a well-deserved break from the hectic bustle and non-stop pressure of responsibility at the company. Hux liked his job and he’d worked hard to achieve what he already had and he would keep on working hard to achieve even more. Finance director at the young age of 34, the youngest head of department ever in the history of First Order Enterprises.

Still, no matter how proud and ambitious he might be, he enjoyed his private life. The relaxation of the mind during cooking, the menial tasks of making this house more _theirs_ , the quirky eccentrics of the lovable goof he called his boyfriend, the…

A loud and angry hiss sounded all of a sudden through the silence of the kitchen.

Hux startled and pain sparked blinding hot in his thumb. The knife clattered onto the counter as he jerked his hand up and stuck his bleeding digit reflexively into his mouth and turned around. His eyes narrowed in quiet resentment as he spotted the culprit.

It was Snoke. That damned cat.

He sat there on the floor a foot in front of his empty feeding bowl, all tensed up, fur bristled, hissing at him. His yellow-green eyes stood out starkly against his black fur, gazing up at him with malice and contempt. Hux was sure of it.

He snarled right back. “Fucking fleabag! Good luck getting any food with _that_ attitude!” He ignored Snoke altogether and rummaged in a cupboard to get a band-aid for his thumb. The cut wasn’t deep, but it hurt and it was unnecessary and he could swear that that devious bastard of a cat had done it on purpose.

If he knew one thing than that that cat hated him!

 

* * *

 

 _“Our own house!” Hux mused as he looked ahead at the building, the sunset reflecting of the windows and tinting the white walls in a warm, welcoming glow. The garden was a mess and they’d need to get rid of that ivy that covered almost the whole west-side of the house, but it was in a nice neighborhood and still close enough to the city center. And it was_ theirs _._

_“Ready?” Kylo asked, throwing his long arm around his shoulder. “First night in our new home.” His excitement was practically bubbling out of him, infectious like a drug._

_Hux grinned. “Let’s christen the bedroom first!”_

_It still seemed unreal. Everything had happened so fast._

_Kylo had inherited the house when its former owner had died, a man named Snoke. He’d been some kind of mentor and tutor for Kylo. Kylo had told him that Snoke possessed an immeasurable amount of knowledge and that he could learn so much from him. Hux had never inquired too deeply when it came to Kylo’s dabbling with the occult and supernatural, he’d just accepted it as part of him, no matter if he believed in that stuff himself or not._

_He’d only met this Snoke on a few occasions, accompanying his lover when he looked after the old man back in his last months when his health was deteriorating. That guy had seemed oddly cold to him, even sinister with his scarred face and pinched, calculating gaze and he certainly hadn’t liked the way the painfully thin man had looked at him. But in the end he’d just turned out to be a frail old man who’d died of a stroke._

_They’d hesitated at first, unsure if they should just sell the house or actually move in, especially since the old man had died in that house. And Kylo had found him there. It had rattled him; that man had been almost like a father to him after all._

_But in the end the location and surprisingly good condition of the house – and the allure of space, so much more than their small and overly expensive city apartment had to offer – had persuaded them to stay._

_And now they were here. After weeks of going through Snoke’s stuff and clearing out the place – mostly Kylo’s job – and renovating and redecorating they were finally finished. Fresh paint was on the walls, the bathrooms completely replaced in a modern décor, their own furniture placed, everything looked more open and contemporary without losing the old charm of the house. The open fireplace wall still the heart of the living room, dark wood dominated the house and they’d put thick carpets in again to preserve the comfy atmosphere._

_The whole day they’d carried boxes inside, some were cleared out already, others just piled up in various rooms. Phasma had been a great help, that’s why they’d invited her to dinner at her favorite sushi place afterwards, as a thank you._

_Hux closed his arm tighter around Kylo’s waist while he watched as Kylo inserted the key into the lock to open the door. To their house. To stay the night for the first time. To stay forever. Excitement made his stomach flutter._

_Kylo pushed the door open and a pair of bright eyes looked back at them. Hux startled, his breath hitching in his chest, while Kylo vocalized his shock with a heartfelt “what the fuck”. A second later they started laughing, feeling silly already._

_There was a black cat sitting in their hallway, staring back at them curiously._

_They had no idea how the animal had gotten into their house. They shooed it outside and enjoyed their first night in their new home._

_The next morning the cat was waiting again for them in the hallway. After they’d gotten rid of it again, it turned up again in the afternoon._

_“How the hell does this cat even get inside?” Hux asked, exasperated._

_Kylo only shrugged, scratching the tomcat behind his ear. “Maybe it is drawn here.” His lips pulled up into a lopsided grin and he waggled his eyebrow, like he always did when he suggested something ludicrous. “Maybe it’s Snoke. Reincarnated as a cat.”_

_Hux snorted and rolled his eyes at the stupid idea._  

 

* * *

 

That damn cat had lodged itself into their home and had simply refused to leave ever since. It had wrapped Kylo around his paw, so to speak, from the very beginning. They were thick as thieves, those two, whereas the only thing Hux earned for his tries to get along with the cat were bloody scratches whenever he tried petting it. Or nowadays angry hisses and suspicious looks since he’d stopped trying to get close to the animal at all.

But still, no matter the cat’s animosity, it still followed him around most of the times, as if checking what he was doing. He sometimes felt as if the cat was keeping a careful eye on him, studying his habits and storing the knowledge for later. Seriously, that black monster was downright creepy.

Hux added the dressing then carried the salad over to their table that was already set for the both of them. He placed the plate with sandwiches there as well then stepped out into the hallway, shooing the cat away in the process.

“That’s right, Snoke, get lost!” he whispered as he watched the dark shadow hurry off. “Kylo?” he called, loud this time. “Dinner’s ready!”

Silence.

“Kylo?” He threw a quick glance into the living room – empty – then checked the library that Kylo had insisted upon which was also empty. It only took a few stairs up towards the first floor; the moment he laid eyes on the closed door he remembered that it was Wednesday. He got back down and checked his watch. Kylo should be done in around ten minutes.

Hux shook his head. He’d probably never understand this whole mystic energy stuff and he certainly didn’t believe in magic and auras and all those things, but Kylo did and he wouldn’t take that away from him. Indoctrinated from birth with all kinds mystical crap it was no wonder Kylo still sought sanctuary in it, even after breaking with his family. He’d only ever met his lover’s mother once and that woman partook of something almost scary. As a physician who considered herself as some kind of witch or something she was stern and authoritative. Kylo’s uncle was a complete mystery to him, a man who lived as a recluse somewhere in the forest, meditating his life away.

The small room upstairs next to the bathroom was all Kylo’s. It was where he could practice his believes in peace. A room that Hux had never entered so far – it felt like intruding into his lover’s privacy if he wasn’t there and if Kylo was inside the door was usually closed and he didn’t want to intrude anyway.

Every second Wednesday Kylo vanished in his room at 7pm for half an hour, performing a ritual. He’d asked him once and Kylo had said that he was keeping a promise to Snoke, or fulfilling his last wish so to speak. It was something that should cleanse the soul and ensure its easier passage into the next realm if Hux remembered correctly, a ritual that was supposed to be performed for the duration of six months after death.

He thought it stupid, but just as Kylo didn’t judge him for his stubborn refusal to believe in any kind of higher power he didn’t judge the dubious practices of his lover. In any case, this ritual was a thing between Kylo and Snoke and if it brought Kylo closure, all the better. In six weeks it would be over anyway.

Hux strolled into the living room to wait there. If asked, he’d say because he liked to gaze out into the twilight of the garden behind the house and watch the rain – there was no denying it anymore, autumn had finally arrived. But if he was truly honest with himself – which he rarely was in this case because it made him feel silly – then it was because apart from the completely new bathroom this room had changed the most. Apart from the dark wooden floor and the fireplace every bit of furniture was new and arranged in a different way than before.

It really _was_ stupid – and Hux wasn’t sure if it was because Kylo had named the cat Snoke – but he couldn’t get the old man out of his head. Not truly. And sometimes, when he was alone, this house somehow didn’t feel like home; as if they were just intruding. And here in the living room he could ignore that feeling easier.

Footsteps sounded down the stairs and he turned, spotting Kylo in the hallway. His hair was loosely tied back and it should be illegal to look this hot in a turtleneck.

“Sorry, I didn’t answer. I was in the middle-“

“I know. I forgot what day it is.” Hux shrugged and headed over, smelling the hint of apple that always surrounded Kylo after his ritual. “Dinner’s ready.”

Kylo smiled and pulled him closer. “So I’ve heard,” he said and pressed a quick kiss against Hux’ lips. He frowned. “What’s that?”

Hux followed his gaze towards his bandaged finger and he sighed. “Nothing. I cut myself. That damn cat startled me.”

Kylo rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Can’t you two just be friends?”

Hux snorted. “Ask that fleabag, not me. Seriously, that cat _hates_ me!”

 

* * *

 

“You want a beer?” Hux shouted to make sure Kylo would hear him.

“Yeah. And bring some snacks? I can’t watch a movie without something to nibble at.”

He grabbed two beers and a pack of Doritos and headed back into the living room. Kylo was already lounging in his usual spot on the couch, his legs propped up on their couch table – a habit Hux had given up on hoping to get rid of. The TV was displaying the menu of the BluRay disc, ready to begin, but it seemed his place was already taken. Snoke lay curled up right next to Kylo, his head snuggled into the crook between his thigh and his belly.

Hux’ lips thinned in disapproval. Trust that damn cat to get revenge for earlier as Hux had refused to feed him. He stepped around the couch under the ever watchful eyes of the black monster and handed Kylo his beer and snacks. The moment he lowered himself onto the couch Snoke’s fur bristled and his whole face morphed into something ferocious as he hissed bloody murder in Hux’ direction.

“Oh for God’s sake, what is wrong with you?” he hissed right back.

“Shh,” Kylo shushed and stroked his big hand across black fur and Snoke actually calmed down a little bit, but his words were directed at Hux. “He’s a clever thing, Hux. He can feel your animosity.”

“ _My_ animosity?” Hux repeated in disbelief. “Fine,” he huffed, “team up against me. I don’t care!”

“Hey, no sulking on movie night!” Kylo chuckled and reached out towards Hux to invite him into his embrace. “Come here!”

Hux made a show of trying to think about it until he finally gave up with a sigh and scooted over a bit. The moment he moved closer Snoke jumped up all of a sudden as if feeling threatened and before he knew it the back of his right hand sprouted a new collections of scratches and a black arrow shot past him and out of the room.

“ _Ow_! You damn… _argh_!” He shook his hand, placed the beer down harshly and rubbed across the stinging skin with his cool fingers.

Kylo had shot up as well. It was rare that he was actually present for one of Snoke’s outbursts. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah,” Hux grumbled and finally snuggled into his place. “Poor aim this time. He barely broke the skin. Just something new for the collection.”

Nonetheless Kylo grabbed his hand to check for himself. “He’ll come around one day. Just give him a little time. And space.” His dark-brown eyes held his as he placed a gentle kiss right onto Hux’ still stinging hand, effectively distracting him from that infernal cat.

It worked. And they watched their movie in peace. Well, actually it wasn’t a movie, it was a TV-show that Phasma had recommended. _Game of Thrones_. It was one of the few things they truly enjoyed both if for totally different reasons. Kylo liked the clash of different religions and the mystical enigma in the form of the white walkers while Hux favored the intricacies of politics.

Somewhere along the line Snoke came back, sneaking into the room then hopping onto the backrest of the unused armchair where he lay down, seemingly unimpressed. In the middle of their second episode Hux felt something warm against his feet. To his own surprise he found Snoke rolled into a ball there. Stunned he didn’t dare moving. It lasted for exactly seventeen minutes. Then sharp teeth pierced through his socks and embedded themselves into his big toe.

Kylo was still snickering as they went to bed after the second episode. Both of them had a busy day ahead of them – Hux’ days were always busy what with a whole department under him and Kylo had to get the last preparations ready for the big signing session with J.K. Rowling herself that they’d planned at the bookstore.

Infuriated by that damn cat Hux wasn’t in the mood for being made fun of. He just pulled the blanket up, turned his back on Kylo and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly. He knew he was being childish as he refused to react to Kylo’s apology and his soft kisses and caresses to the nape of his neck. In the end the brunet gave up and shut off the light.

Hux felt bad about it, but his stubbornness won. He fell into a restless sleep.

He dreamed of dragons, wild and untamed.

They turned into giant black cats and he ran, trying to find a place to hide. A place he’d be safe. The surroundings changed and suddenly he was inside a cave. He should be safe here but he didn’t feel safe. He felt trapped. A shadow filled the entrance, but it wasn’t the shadow of a dragon, nor of a cat. It was human. Thin and frail looking, but human.

He jolted awake and into a sitting position with a gasp.

And stared right into a pair of glowing eyes.

And he screamed.

The lights turned on all of a sudden and for a second he found himself face to face with scrutinizing green eyes, that damn cat sitting right at the foot of his bed before it jumped off and fled the room.

“Hux? You alright?” Kylo mumbled sleepily as he sat up, running his hand through his hair to get it out of his face.

But Hux couldn’t answer, could barely catch his breath. His heart was beating so hard against his ribs it hurt. In a desperate attempt to calm himself down he rubbed his shaking hands over his face.

“Hey.” He jumped as Kylo carefully placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around a bit. “The nightmares again?”

It was a stupid question. He nodded anyway. They’d started a few weeks ago, a few nights a week, but up until now he’d never remembered what he’d dreamed about. This time however… He shuddered. Kylo pulled him back down gently and he let him. “Shh, it was just a dream.” Strong arms circled around him, held him tightly and Hux buried his face against that broad chest, inhaling his lover’s familiar scent. He was safe here. It was just a dream, he told himself. “Go back to sleep, okay. I’m here.”

Hux relaxed into Kylo’s embrace, even when the brunet reached back with one hand for a moment to turn the lights off again. But he didn’t fell asleep again that night. Snoke’s shadow had been in his dream. And the cat had watched him sleep.

Kylo’s words reverberated within his mind, over and over again.

_“Maybe it’s Snoke. Reincarnated as a cat.”_

It had been a silly joke and yet somehow he couldn’t think of anything else.

 

* * *

 

In the light of the next day Hux was embarrassed with his reaction and felt absolutely stupid. Snoke was dead and the _other_ Snoke was an ass. Simple as that.

Sadly that surety only lasted until the next nightmare a few nights later.

And stupid or not he caught himself watching the damn cat, trying to interpret its actions. He caught himself comparing its piercing gaze with the strange knowing look of Snoke’s dark beady eyes. It didn’t matter how much he chastised himself for it, he still caught himself doing it again and again.

Maybe Kylo was right and the cat actually could feel his hostility. Maybe he simply needed to actually try and form a bond with Snoke. Maybe they’d truly caught each other on the wrong foot.

It was Saturday. Kylo had the morning shift in the bookstore and Hux needed a break from the presentation he was working on. Snoke was dozing close-by, watching curiously as he got up. And Hux decided to give it a try. He fetched the cat teaser Kylo sometimes used to play and stepped closer to the black cat.

“Look, I know I’m not your most favorite person, but- I’m not _that_ bad, okay? Truce?”

Snoke jumped at him out of the blue, but for once he didn’t attack him but headed straight for the big yellow feather that dangled at the end of the teaser’s string.

Hux grinned triumphantly. “There we go. That’s the spirit!”

He twirled the teaser, making the feather fling around, always just barely out of reach of Snoke’s grabbing paws. Or his jaw, for that matter. It was harder than it looked to remain the upper hand in their game and Hux left his small office into the upper floor hallway to get more room to maneuver. This was fun. Kylo _had_ been right, he only needed to _want_ to make a connection, it seemed.

There, he’d been distracted for just a second and Snoke had the string trapped between his paws. On instinct he pulled harder to get the toy back, but the cat fought for it, too, until it snapped and the feather slid across the floor. And vanished right underneath the door to Kylo’s room. The cat followed suit, almost melting against the gap, reaching its paws through but it obviously couldn’t get a hold of the feather.

Hux was just about to open the door and pluck it from the floor when Snoke jumped up high and clung to the door handle, pulling it down effectively. The lock gave way and before he knew what had happened the cat had already slipped inside.

“You clever little bastard!”

With no other choice left he entered as well to get Snoke out of there. Whatever stuff Kylo kept inside for his magic-rituals, it couldn’t be a very suitable place for a curious cat.

The room was small and it’s not hard to spot Snoke: he’s rolling around the floor, the feather clutched tightly in victory. With nothing more than a light tip of his foot against his rear Snoke jumped to his feet, threw him an indignant look and then headed off with his pray between his teeth.

And all of a sudden Hux was alone in the room and he just couldn’t help himself, once inside his curiosity got the upper hand.

There was a low table to his right, a big comfy looking pillow in one corner and old, heavy looking wooden shelves along the walls that were definitely left from Snoke. Strange and seemingly random stuff was piled in most of the shelves, along with lots of boxes in all sizes. One of the shelves was filled with books, some of them new others seriously old looking, with dark leather bindings. An ensemble of candles posed on the table and a small silver plate was in its middle, some remnants of ash left in it. The smell of herbs and cold smoke that clung to everything inside this room suggested that Kylo used it to burn incense or stuff like that. A pile of books was sitting next to it, as well as a pile of loose papers, filled with Kylo’s narrow handwriting.

That’s when he realized the big painted runes on the floor. He stepped aside, suddenly feeling uneasy standing right on top of one of them. Hux shuddered. The room looked more or less like what he’d expected, a bit less clichéd maybe, but nonetheless he had goosebumps all over his body.

He should leave. In turning his eyes caught on the letters on the cover of the topmost book and he stopped. _Necromancy_. He stared. No, this couldn’t…

Hux stepped closer and touched the book. The leather felt old. Really old. He opened it, his eyes skimming down the index, and a shiver ran down his spine. He left in a hurry, only realizing in his office that he was still holding the book.

 

* * *

 

The door opened and Kylo came in.

“Hey, I brought some pastries,” the brunet said and waved a little cardboard box as soon as he spotted Hux in the kitchen. “Cream puffs. Your favorite.”

Kylo stepped inside and his face fell the moment he spotted Hux’ serious expression and the glass of bourbon in his hands. It fell even further when Hux took a big gulp, put the glass down and pushed the book across the table.

“Is this what you do up there? Trying to wake the dead? Like- like some kind of Frankenstein? I thought- I thought this was all about spirituality, about being one with nature and one’s inner self or stuff like that, but _this_? This… _what the hell, Kylo_?”

The box dropped onto the table, forgotten. And Kylo stared, his gaze twitching from Hux to the book and back again. “You’ve been through my stuff?” It sounded surprised, not angry.

Hux took a deep breath and crossed his arms, a sure sign to his lover that now wasn’t the time to stall.

“Wha… Hux, this isn’t what you think. This is one of Snoke’s books.”

He snorted. “Oh, wonderful! So this is what he _taught you_?”

Kylo bit his lip, but that was his only outward sign of distress. He seemed otherwise completely calm. With one hand he pulled a chair out and sat down, right around the corner from Hux, facing him. “Yes and no,” he said, quite unhelpful, and pulled the book in between them. “It’s not about waking the dead. It’s about opening a connection. I saw him do it once. Summon a spirit I mean. So I asked Snoke to teach me how to do it because- I wanted to talk to my grandfather.”

Hux blinked in surprise. This was _not at all_ what he’d expected. Okay, to be honest, he’d had no real idea _what_ to expect. He pushed the notion that Kylo ‘saw Snoke summon a spirit’ away for the moment, branding it as exaggeration, and focused instead on the important part.

“Your grandfather?” Hux asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Kylo rarely talked about him – as with all his family – but when he did the usual disdain he held for his uncle and parents wasn’t there. “Wasn’t he…”

“In an asylum? Yes,” Kylo nodded. Then he took a deep breath as if steeling himself for something, only to go on, surprising Hux with an openness about his family he’d never showed before. “He claimed he could see the future. Those- vision showed him horrible things and he got obsessed with trying to change his fate. Then my grandmother died during childbirth and he lost it completely. His uncle, Ben, tried to help, but in the end he had to put the safety of the children first and had my grandfather committed.”

Hux listened in shock, the book forgotten for the moment. He didn’t know much but he knew enough to know that the treatments for mental illness in that time period were far from modern standards, some even closer to torture than medicine. He didn’t believe his own ears as he heard himself ask, “Did you manage? To achieve a connection?”

“No. Snoke said I wasn’t advanced enough yet. That I needed more training.”

“Why do you want to talk to him?”

Kylo went silent and his dark eyes dropped down, staring unseeingly in the general direction of the book.

Something twisted uncomfortably in Hux’ belly and he followed his instincts, placing his hand against Kylo’s cheek to gently force him to look up again. He didn’t like the barely hidden turmoil in his lover’s eyes. “Kylo?”

“I-,” the brunet licked his lips hesitantly, then suddenly the words spilled out of him, all at once like badly shaken coke. “I want to ask him how he knew that what he was seeing was the future. I want to know if he ever managed to change it. I want- I-“ His voice faded, breaking at the end and shaky as he continued, his insecure gaze fixed on Hux. “I see things. Sometimes. And- I don’t know what- I don’t- what if I’m like him?”

Hux knew him long enough and well enough to read between the lines. He knew what Kylo wasn’t saying. He wasn’t so much afraid of _being_ like his grandfather but more of _ending_ like him. Locked away, separated from the ones he loved. All alone.

The crazy mix of fear and anger was gone, replaced by the warm glow of sympathy. “Then nothing changes. I still love you. Well, I’d ask you about tomorrow’s lottery numbers, of course, but other than that…” He was relieved to see Kylo’s lips twitch into a tentative smile. Nonetheless he turned serious again. “Those things you see…” he wasn’t sure what to ask exactly, but he didn’t need to.

“Just flashes. A sound, a facial expression, stuff like that. I saw the pot with our palm tree wobbling as if repeatedly pushed. Small things like that. Just little snippets. Never enough to be sure later, but- they’re always so perfectly clear in my mind when I wake up.”

“They’re just dreams.”

“They feel different. And then later I see something and I can’t shake the feeling that I already saw it happening. It’s…”

Hux placed a hand on Kylo’s knee, stopping the increasingly agitated bouncing of his leg. “It’s called a déjà vu. Everyone’s got them once in a while. I’ve had them. It’s nothing to worry about. Seriously.”

He watched the way Kylo’s eyes roamed his face, searching for something, before he finally relaxed for good. Hux used his hand still on his lover’s face to pull him closer and into a tight embrace. When Kylo leaned back after a while his lips traced over Hux’ in a gentle kiss. He pulled back all too quickly, though, smacking his lips in a grimace of disgust. “Ugh, I really don’t understand how you can drink that stuff.”

Hux chuckled. “It’s quite easy. You fill it in a glass, pour it into your mouth and of course you savor the taste.”

Kylo shuddered, he really disliked the taste of bourbon. He pouted for a moment. “Ha ha, very funny.” Then he grew sober again. “It’s just…you only ever drink the hard stuff when you’re upset…”

 _And you’re upset because of me_. It wasn’t hard for Hux to finish that sentence in his mind.

Hux knew that Kylo was right. He sometimes enjoyed a glass with Phasma but mostly he opened their liquor cabinet only when he was upset about something. It was a bad habit and certainly not the best coping method. And nothing he felt overly inclined discussing right now.

He raised an eyebrow, matching the hint of a smirk on his lips. “You’re not distracting me that easily, mister!” With a smile he took Kylo’s hand in his and pulled him back a bit, unwilling to let that moment between them go so easily. “You can talk to me about stuff like that, about your grandfather, you know?” he urged, carefully. Then he nodded towards the forgotten book on the table. “There’s no need to go all dark side and turn into some evil sorcerer.”

Kylo’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter as he grinned. The last shadow of insecurity finally lifted from his eyes. “So no dramatic black robes?” Hux rolled his eyes. “Very well. But Hux,” he paused and squeezed his hand, “the same applies the other way round. If something’s bothering you… talk to me?”

 

They made love that night in front of the fireplace. And they laughed as Snoke sneaked up on them later and nipped at Hux’ socked big toe.

Everything was fine.

Until two nights later Hux woke again to the feeling of being trapped, of being watched by familiar eyes. And he was. Snoke sat right next to his bed, his black fur merging with the darkness of the room and his yellow-green eyes staring up at him, observing, scrutinizing.

As he tried to catch his breath and as Kylo snuggled closer in an effort to soothe him, he ignored the feeble protests of his rationality and asked the irrational.

“Something is seriously wrong with this cat. I- I mean it, Kylo. What if you’re right?”

“About what?”

“About Snoke’s reincarnation.”

“That was a joke.”

“It doesn’t feel like one anymore.”

Kylo grumbled, sleepily, and wound his hand possessively around Hux’ waist. “I’ll look it up, tomorrow. Now, try to get some sleep, okay?”

 

* * *

 

Kylo kept his promise and browsed the next evenings through different books on reincarnation. He even asked his former ‘circle’ – or whatever groups that delved into the occult were called – known as ‘The Knights of Ren’.

It eased some of Hux’ tension away to be taken seriously, even though he couldn’t help feeling ridiculous for even considering something so obviously impossible.

They started observing Snoke more closely, paying attention to certain things Kylo found mentioned in his books, but so far nothing came of it. Yes, the cat seemed to follow him around in a distance, sometimes, and yes, it clearly disliked him judging from the hissing and the murderous looks and the scratching and biting whenever Hux got too close but other than that it didn’t behave strangely. Just because those calculating, glaring eyes reminded him of the human Snoke’s eyes staring his way didn’t mean that it was _actually_ him. Especially since the cat showed so much more facets and characteristics that had nothing in common with Snoke at all. At least to Hux’ knowledge.

And sometimes, just sometimes, it behaved like a normal cat even around Hux, like that day they’d played with the cat teaser.

The Knights of Ren offered to perform a ritual to examine the cat’s spirit, but that had to wait a few days till the next new moon and required some of its blood. No matter how much Hux was scared of the animal at night sometimes, seeing Snoke hunting after the glowing dot of a laser pointer by day made him unwilling to harm him in any way just for the sake of some desperate hocus-pocus.

And yet, somehow it became worse.

He could feel it now when the cat was watching him, like a cold vapor that enveloped him, making his hairs stand on end. The dreams came more often. Hux wasn’t sure if he started to feel paranoid about the cat because it was always there at his bed, staring at him, when he woke from a nightmare or if the nightmares got worse because of his increasingly paranoid thoughts regarding that damn cat. Kylo had placed some herbs inside his pillow and in strategic places throughout the room, claiming they’d help keep the nightmares away.

Hux wasn’t sure if they did.

He felt tired most of the time due to his lack of sleep. Kylo was worried. Even some of his colleagues had noticed that something was off about him.

And then there was Phasma.

“You need to get out more often!”

He wearily rolled his eyes, roaming a hand through his hair as he sank deeper into his spot on the couch, the phone pressed to his ear. That argument really _never_ got old. “You know I don’t care for bar-hopping. Forcefully dragging me into some club won’t make those dreams go away. Or make Snoke stop staring at me.”

“Oh, stop it with the melodramatics! And leave the cat out of it! No, I mean you need to get out of the house. Run around the block. Grab a bike and take a ride. You’ll get fresh air and burn off some energy and – you’ll see – you’ll sleep like a baby.”

Of course a fitness-freak like her would suggest something like that. He wasn’t the biggest fan of working out but maybe the idea wasn’t so bad. If only he weren’t so tired after work…

“I’ll think about it.”

He could practically see her eyes rolling in sync with her sigh. “Not _thinking_ , Red. _Doing_!”

The following weekend he took her advice and he and Kylo drove out to one of the lakes in the countryside and spent the day hiking. And enjoying a rather beautiful and warm autumn day.

The nightmares came anyway.

 

* * *

 

Kylo had the evening shift in the store. Again. Whoever was responsible for this month’s roster was either incompetent or had it in for Kylo. Or someone was envious that Kylo had been chosen to accompany the proprietor to the national book fair in Chicago this weekend. First two Saturdays in a row, now one evening shift after another. They barely saw each other for an hour in the evenings before Hux fell into bed, absolutely exhausted.

Alone again Hux decided to do something useful and finish what his lover had started in the morning: the laundry. It was done already, so he pulled it out of the dryer and folded everything that didn’t need ironing into a neat stack inside the laundry basket. It was mostly towels and linen anyway. Humming the melody that was stuck in his mind ever since he’d heard it on the radio this morning he went upstairs into the bedroom to put the few socks and underwear back into the dresser. The humming helped distracting him from the feeling of being watched. He caught himself looking around every few minutes anyway. Checking the corners for that damn cat. He couldn’t see it but he was sure that it was close-by.

He wished Kylo was here. It was stupid but without Kylo this house didn’t really feel like home anymore. The dark wood seemed oppressing and he kept the door to the library shut at all times, uneasy whenever he got near the room where Snoke had died in. Sometimes, when the door stood open, he wasn’t sure if he’d just forgotten to close it that day or if the cat had opened it again. Maybe just to spite him.

With a determined intake of breath he pushed the thoughts aside. He wouldn’t let a god-forsaken animal make him feel unwelcome in his own house!

Every time he repeated this mantra it sounded a bit weaker, though.

Shaking his head to get rid of those gloomy musings he grabbed the basket again with the stacks of towels left and headed towards the bathroom, humming a bit louder this time.

Everything happened at once, too fast to comprehend.

There was a hissing sound to his left. A shiver ran down his spine, like a blanket of cold that slipped along his skin. Something pressed against his leg just as he was about to make a step, an obstacle against his foot that shouldn’t be there. He stumbled, leaned sideways, tried to balance himself with the bulky basket. It hit the banister, unexpectedly, toppling his balance even more. His mouth opened in a scream, just as his foot stepped into nothing and then the world tumbled. Or better: he did.

Pain attacked him from all sides and with every new spin.

Then it was over. His head was spinning and his whole body ached, but there was something soft beneath his head at least. Some of the towels had prevented him from bashing his head in. He was just about to close his eyes with a groan to bathe in his shock and misery for a moment when he heard it again: the hissing.

His eyes shot open at once, although he didn’t dare to move. Snoke was perched right at the top of the stairs, in all his black glory. His fur was bristled and his back arched, making him seem twice as big as he was, and his teeth were bared as he hissed down at him.

Hux shuffled backwards, shivering with cold and an irrational fear that didn’t feel irrational at all right now. His limbs ached, his left wrist throbbed and gave way when he put weight on it, but he ignored the pain, ignored the frantic pounding of his heart that reverberated inside his body, cumulating with the dull ache of his bruises. Without taking his eyes off of Snoke he slid backwards, using only his right hand to guide him until his fingers reached the doorframe of the living room. Pulling himself up he stumbled inside, pushed the door shut and leaned his head against it, trying to catch his breath.

He didn’t succeed.

Not after what had just happened.

The cat had made him fall. And he just _knew_ it was on purpose. It had been written all over the bastard’s face.

It was trying to get rid of him. Take him out of the picture.

The _cat_ had _made him fall_!

He needed a drink!

 

* * *

 

“Hux?”

The shout startled him out of his stupor and he blinked lazily. It was dark around him. When had it turned dark? His head lolled back against the headrest as he listened to the voice of his lover, a small smile on his face. He liked that voice. Who was he talking to? Concentrating on the words was hard. Too hard. It hurt his head, and yet…

 _The cat_!

He was talking to the cat. “Don’t talk to Snoke, Kylo. He’s devious!” He wasn’t sure if he’d said that out loud or just thought it.

“Hux? Where are you?” It sounded urgent.

Footsteps. Then a noise: the click of the door handle, followed by scratching. Oh, right, he’d pulled the box with fire wood in front of the door. The cat could open doors after all.

“What the… Hux?”

Suddenly the lights were on, glaring and burning and piercing. He groaned. In pain. In annoyance. And he tried to turn further away from the light, but the motion set the room spinning so he just pressed his eyes shut tighter. Couldn’t he sleep in peace?

Footsteps again. Then the clanking of glass against glass. The couch dipped next to him.

“Hux? What happened?”

What _didn’t_ happen?

“Hey!” A hand was on his cheek all of a sudden, warm and snuggly and… it started tapping him. “Hey, open your eyes! Hux!”

That was annoying. The tapping. He wanted to lean against that hand. To crawl into it. But he couldn’t do that when it was insistent on hitting him. He wanted this to stop. He wanted to _sleep_. So he blinked against the light and tried to focus on the massive shadow that leaned above him. Kylo’s face swam into focus, at least for a second then in dissolved again into a blurry mess. It looked almost funny.

“Oh you idiot! You’re drunk off your ass! How much? Hey! How much did you drink?”

Oh-oh. He sounded angry.

How much did he drink? He wasn’t sure. Not _that_ much, right? He’d just grabbed the next best bottle and drunk until his hands had stopped shaking. And then some more until the blissful indifference had spread through his body. And then some more to make the pain stop. That blasted throbbing in his wrist that wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Hux?”

Oh, right. A question. He blinked sluggishly and shrugged.

There was a sigh. Or a growl. He wasn’t sure. Worry? Anger? Annoyance? He couldn’t tell them apart. And honestly? He didn’t care.

“Why? _Why_ Hux?”

Why.

Hilarious.

He laughed. “T’celebrid.”

“Celebrate? What the hell is there to celebrate yourself into oblivion?” The voice was louder this time.

“B’ng ‘live!” He tried to fix his gaze on Kylo but neither his eyes nor his lolling head would cooperate, so instead he concentrated all his focus on his words. “He dried b’t ‘m not that easy t’ kill!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Sssnoke, ‘f course!”

“Snoke??? What the…”

“Th’ stairs. Clevva! I think’e laughed ‘t me!”

Kylo mumbled something about… about towels? Then he turned quiet all of a sudden.

The silence was roaring; pressing against his ears.

His head was spinning. Maybe he should close his eyes. He was tired anyway. So damn tired.

Hands were on his cheeks again. Both sides this time. Then a hand was running through his hair, touching his head.

It was nice. And he smiled.

But Kylo sounded strange. Not like before. Urgent. Way too hectic for his liking.

“You fell down the… Hux! Come on, look at me! Did you fall on your head? _Did you hurt your head_?”

He forced his eyes open again. The strange tone of voice made his head hurt. Throb. But the throbbing was new. Hadn’t been there before. He shook it. His head. No, he didn’t hurt his head. But shaking it was a bad idea. The world started spinning, tumbling and he didn’t like that at all.

Just as he wanted to grab for Kylo’s arm to keep himself steady he saw it. A black shadow, jumping on the couch, coming closer and his breath hitched.

No! Not him! Not…

Without thinking, just reacting, he slapped his left hand in the direction of the black monster, intent on hurting it. On killing it. On just getting it off of it. Away from him.

Something moved, shifted and he miscalculated miserably. And realized his mistake way too late. The moment his hand collided with the backrest of the couch white hot pain shot up his whole arm. Blinding him. Disorienting him.

He cried out. Panted. Curled in on himself, but his balance tipped and the world spun, he fell forward and yet he didn’t. Strong, warm hands still held his face. He wanted it to stop. Why didn’t it stop?

“..x! _Hux_! Shit! Shitshitshitshit!!!”

Something hot was running down his face. The hands wiped it away, but it was in vain. It kept running.

The world was moving all of a sudden, tilting in ways it shouldn’t, and it hurt. God, it hurt so much. His head sank against something hard and warm. It smelled of Kylo. That was nice. Kylo was talking again, but he was too dizzy to make sense of it.

Too dizzy and too tired.

Darkness swirled around the edges of his mind, promising sweet oblivion. Quiet and painfree.

He didn’t fight it.

He welcomed it.

 

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *carefully squints out between the hands covering my face*
> 
> A penny for your thoughts?


	2. Painful Knowledge

When he woke up again it was in a hospital room with the mother of all headaches. His left arm hurt and felt heavy and it was dressed in a cast, lower arm to mid-fingers. There was a drip in his other arm and from the feeling of it another piece of plastic was inserted into areas that should never have anything pushed into them.

Kylo was at his side. He looked horrible.

“Never _ever_ do that to me again! You scared the hell out of me!”

After some more tests – now that he was awake – the doctors were finally convinced that he really hadn’t hit his head and he was discharged early afternoon. Still with a headache, a broken wrist and deeply ashamed with himself for losing control like that.

It had been an accident, like Kylo said. He’d just made more out of it than it had actually been with his head rattled from the fall and all. The alcohol certainly hadn’t helped either. God, this was so damn stupid. All of it. Stupid and ridiculous and he just wanted to forget it all and sleep for a week.

The moment Kylo opened the door for him and he saw Snoke sit on the lowest step of the stairs amidst a heap of towels that were still strewn all over the place, looking at them out of curious eyes, Hux knew he couldn’t forget. He stopped abruptly, breathing heavily and he saw it again, the bared fangs and the malicious gleaming eyes as they stared down at him from the top of the stairs.

Kylo frowned at him for a second then followed his gaze. “Just… stay here. I’m back in a second.” He went inside, swooped the not exactly happy cat up into his arms and carried it away. When he came back, Snoke was gone and Hux relaxed again.

He spent the afternoon dozing on the couch, nursing his headache – and the dull ache from his wrist and numerous bruises all over his body – with some painkillers. Kylo let him sleep, but he kept hovering. Whenever Hux opened his eyes Kylo was close by, either reading or talking quietly on the phone or watching TV on mute. Hux really must have scared him. Well, not knowing if the slurred speech and dizziness were due to inebriation or head trauma would do that to somebody, he supposed.

He felt better in the evening. Almost like himself again.

He wished, he didn’t. Then maybe Phasma would hold back in her scolding. But she didn’t. She’d never been one for mincing matters.

“You damn idiot!” She slapped her hand against the back of his head. Not really a slap, more a nudge. It was still unpleasant.

“Ouch!”

“You deserve it!” She stepped around the couch, her hands against her hips, shaking her head in dismay. She really cut quite an imposing figure like this with her toned body and her impressive height. But then she flopped down next to him and grabbed his knee to make sure she had his full attention. “You should’ve called me, Hux! That’s what cell phones are there for!”

“It was in the kitchen,” he said sheepishly.

“So?” She looked at him, raising her pale eyebrows. “Oh, right. You had to hide from the cat. It’s a cat, for fuck’s sake! Not the devil. You tripped over Snoke. That happens. The damn cat was probably just as surprised and shocked as you.”

“I tell you, it’s _Snoke_. I saw it in his eyes. I…”

She let go of him and leaned back a bit, carding her fingers through her  pale blond hair. “ _Snoke_ Snoke? Really? Come on, Red! You’re a rational, intelligent guy, but… reincarnation? An old man in form of a cat, determined to what? Kill you? You don’t seriously believe that, do you?”

Did he?

He wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Maybe it was reincarnation, maybe that cat was possessed by something. The only thing he knew for sure was that that black, furry little monster freaked him out in ways he couldn’t put into words. No, it wasn’t rational and he knew that. He felt stupid enough because of it, but that didn’t change the fact that he was scared.

He wished Kylo would be down here, maybe even backing him up, but it was Wednesday and he’d taken advantage of Phasma’s presence and vanished upstairs for his ritual of passage. Sure, it was Kylo’s way of grieving for the old man but right now he’d preferred to have him here at his side.

Hux let his head sink forward and buried it in his hands. “I don’t know what to think anymore,” he mumbled into his hands. He hated feeling this way. Insecure. Helpless. As if the rug was pulled out from under his feet. _Pathetic_.

A long arm curled around him and he was pulled into a one-armed, yet strong embrace. Her voice was soft this time. “At least do me one favor, okay?” When he didn’t react she went on. “Next time you feel the need to drown yourself in liquor, please stay away from the good stuff and leave it for those who like to appreciate what they drink?”

He chuckled. And he knew that she smiled.

And he felt just a tiny bit better.

 

* * *

 

 

“Here.”

Hux turned around from his wardrobe to see Kylo come into the bedroom with a steaming cup in his outstretched hands. “What’s that?”

“It’s tea.” But by the way his lover held himself and seemed more interested by the hanger with a light blue dress shirt in Hux’ hands than Hux himself he just knew that this wasn’t all of it. Forgetting about what to wear to work tomorrow that would fit over his cast – he really wasn’t keen on the curious questions and sympathetic glances – he put the hanger back in the wardrobe and took the cup from Kylo’s hands.

A strange aroma reached his nostrils, earthy and heavy, definitely some herbs, although it almost reminded him of moss. He wrinkled his nose and eyed his lover skeptically. “Care to elaborate? Because this doesn’t smell like tea, it smells like forest soil.”

Kylo shuffled a bit. “It’s a mix of different herbs that are supposed to ward off evil spirits and bad dreams. I thought, maybe it eases your mind a bit, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to try it.”

“You made this for _me_?” Some of his tension ebbed away. He was indeed a bit wary of turning in for the night, afraid of the nightmares. Afraid of what new horrors they would hold after the current events. And here came Kylo, trying to soothe his fears in his very own way.

Hux smiled at him, a grateful, fond smile, and pulled his face a bit closer – careful and a bit clumsy with his left hand – to place a kiss against his lover’s lips. Right there in the steam of the tea.

He tried it. It tasted just like it smelled. And bitter. He grimaced a bit and tried very hard not to think about how Kylo had mixed this tea together in his strange magic chamber, pulling the ingredients out of the boxes from those shelves. But he trusted Kylo not to poison him. And maybe it would indeed help with the dreams, although he seriously doubted that a cup of tea would do anything against that devious cat.

“Thank you!”

He drank up, got his stuff ready for tomorrow, brushed his teeth and changed for bed. Kylo came back from his evening round through the house to check the locks and close the blinds and closed the bedroom door.

“Where’s Snoke?” Hux couldn’t help it, he had to know.

“I locked him into the living room. He wasn’t exactly happy about it.”

Hux bit his lips, rolling it into his mouth for a second as he internally debated if he should say something or not. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep otherwise, no matter how irrational that was or not. “He can open doors, you know?”

Kylo raised an eyebrow at him, then pulled a key out of his pocket and placed it demonstratively on the dresser top. “I know.” His smug grin only lasted a second before it was replaced by something else. Darker. Worried. Desperate.

Hux could see that Kylo had no idea what to make of this whole situation, and yet he stoically tried to keep calm and strong. For him. A few days ago Kylo had thought _he_ was the one with the questionable sanity due to his “visions” and now he was faced with his usually so rational lover losing it over a damn cat.

Kylo opened his arms for him as he climbed into bed and Hux wordlessly snuggled up against him.

“Did you find something in your books?”

“Just what I already told you.”

Hux nodded, accepting that there was no new data from that front. It grew quiet and the gentle caresses of fingertips, drawing circles across his upper arm, almost hypnotized him to sleep. Almost.

“Kylo?” His voice was low but not as drowsy as he felt.

“Mmh?”

“Do you believe it’s possible? Can a human really be born again as an animal?”

His lover stopped his ministrations for a moment and when Hux looked up Kylo was staring at the ceiling, thinking.

“To be honest,” he finally said, “I never gave it much thought before. I’ve always been far more interested in summoning spirits. Or the nature of visions. Or ways to manipulate the world around us without touching it. But- but yeah, I think it’s possible. I could imagine that if a soul isn’t ready to leave it could latch onto a new life that is just about to be born. Or maybe, if the soul is powerful enough or desperate enough it might even be able to take an already existing body of a lesser life form for itself. By force.”

Hux shivered at that. He could see Snoke before his mind’s eye, dead on the floor as a white mist escaped his motionless body and out of the window, across gardens and streets until it found a black cat, sleeping in the sun. And the mist enveloped the cat, vanished into its eyes as the animal shrieked and when it’s over its eyes are cold and staring and…

“Hey,” Kylo nudged him, rubbing the goosebumps on his skin. “Sorry.”

“That’s not reincarnation, Kylo. That’s possession.”

Kylo shrugged. “Either way, it doesn’t sound like him. Sure, he was fascinated with everything concerning the afterlife but he always seemed at peace with himself. Maybe some of his methods were a bit- unorthodox but he was a good teacher. He was all about subtlety and grand schemes. Coming back as a cat of all things, just to play tricks on you? That doesn’t make sense.”

_And what if he wasn’t done with you? What if he came back to get rid of me because he’s still got plans for you. The both of you, together?_

He didn’t say it. That sounded too ridiculous. Too close to hysterics. Too close to losing his mind over something stupid like this. God, he really needed some sleep. Uninterrupted, deep sleep. He yawned and closed his eyes. “Is there a way to check? For Snoke?”

“Just the one I told you about,” Kylo answered.

Hux remembered again. Had already forgotten about the ritual the Knights of Ren had suggested. Not really surprising after everything. “Then let them do it. Get the blood. I don’t care how. I just want to know for sure.”

Kylo moved against him, rolled onto his side so that they were facing each other. “New moon was two days ago, Hux.”

Right. He’d forgotten about the new moon as well. It was almost two weeks until the next possibility to gain certainty. That was an awful lot of days until then. He swallowed against the lump in his throat.

They fell silent again and he idly traced random patterns across Kylo’s chest and belly with his fingers, all the while inhaling his scent and warmth. He wondered if the heaviness in his limbs and thoughts were a result of his exhausting day or the strange tea from before.

“Hux?”

“Mmh?”

“You know the book fair starts in two days?”

He knew. He didn’t want to think about it but yeah, he remembered. “Mm-hm.” His thoughts became sluggish. Kylo was saying something but the words blurred as he fell asleep.

There were no dreams that night.

 

* * *

 

 

Feeling well rested and awake was no substitute for a working arm. That’s what Hux learned the next morning. Getting ready in the morning with a cast when you never before had one was a nightmare of its own. He felt like a complete and utter klutz in the kitchen, not to mention the adventure of taking a shower.

By the time he finally got to the front door Mitaka, his colleague and other half of their carpool, had been honking three times already.

“Bye! See you tonight!”

Hux startled. He hadn’t noticed that Kylo had gotten up as well. His head shot towards the voice and found his lover in the living room, leaning over the couch, still in his rumpled sleep clothes and his hair standing up in every direction. He looked absolutely adorable, enough so that he’d made already two steps into the room to get a goodbye kiss.

That’s when he spotted Snoke, remembering the cat for the first time that morning.

He was lying on the couch, ostentatiously stretched out to his full extent and held his head up high as Kylo leaned down and petted him behind his ears. Snoke was lying on _Hux’_ spot! Staring right at him out of those big, calculating eyes. As if to mock him. As if to say, ‘There’s no place for you here. Kylo is mine!’

Hux stopped. He just couldn’t…

The car horn sounded again. Impatient. And Hux stumbled out of the door – _fled_ would be a better word – with no more than a mumbled ‘see you’.

 

* * *

 

 

He couldn’t concentrate at work. He was so grateful when the day was over and Mitaka drove them off the company’s parking lot. It didn’t last long, though.

The closer they got to his home the more anxious he became. There was a lump in his throat and his stomach squeezed in on itself.

Back in the house it only got worse. No matter what he did or where he went Snoke followed him at every step and that damn fleabag was too fast to lock him into one of the rooms.

He startled each time that damn cat meowed.

By the time the door opened and Kylo got home Hux felt like a prisoner in his own home. Always on display, never alone, always under scrutiny. His hands were shaking and his head ached from the constant battle of his rational self with his irrational side. One told him that it was simply a cat which had no idea what’s wrong and why one of its owners was acting so strangely. The other told him to watch out for the next attack. To be ready to fight. Ready to run.

He’d started talking at one point, but right now he wasn’t sure anymore if he’d been talking to himself or to the cat.

“Hey hon!” Kylo called from the door and came right towards him for a proper hello. “How was your…”

“The cat has to go!”

 

* * *

 

 

Hux sat at the kitchen table, elbows on the table and his face covered in his hands. An empty cup of Kylo’s special tea in front of him. The edge of the cast pressed against his eyebrow. It was nice to concentrate on that instead of anything else.

Was this how it felt to come undone? To lose it?

God, every psychiatrist would probably have a field day with him. ‘Feeling stalked by a cat. Believes the cat is possessed by lover’s former now deceased mentor. Or probably his reincarnation. Thinks the cat wants to kill him to have his lover to itself.’ They’d probably laugh at him, discussing his ‘case’ at conferences.

Even to his own ears it sounded absolutely ludicrous.

Until he looked at those yellow-green eyes of Snoke.

Then his breath hitched and everything seemed possible.

Kylo’s voice stopped talking in the background. Footsteps came closer from the hallway and a moment later a hand touched his shoulder. Only then did Hux drop his hands.

“I talked with Conaire.”

Hux narrowed his eyes for a second. Of course he knew that Conaire was one of the so called ‘Knights of Ren’, but he’d only met them once in person and he wasn’t sure if Conaire was the stocky Irish guy or the always annoyed looking woman with the bald head. They both had strange and hard to pronounce names.

“He’s willing to take Snoke for the weekend. Maybe longer.”

He. So it was the stocky Irish guy with the white-blond hair and the thick accent. He’d take Snoke.

Good.

_Good!_

He couldn’t deny the relief that washed over him.

“I’ll bring Snoke to him in the morning.”

“That’s good,” he croaked. It sounded truly pathetic. He cleared his throat and said it again, this time sounding more like himself.

The fingers on his shoulder tightened, asking for attention instead of giving comfort. Hux looked up. He really, really hated to see the worry in Kylo’s face.

“I don’t have to go to Chicago.”

_Yes! Please stay!_

That rattled him even more than to see his lover worrying all the time. He got up and grabbed Kylo’s upper arms, staring intently at him. “No. This is _your_ chance! Your boss wanted you by his side. You said he’s looking for a successor. You have to go. I _want you_ to go!”

Kylo didn’t look convinced, just torn.

“I’m alright. I’ll be fine. It’s just that damn cat, but- but you took care of that for now. _I’m fine_! Really!” Well, he certainly didn’t _feel_ fine, but he would be as soon as Snoke was gone.

It took a moment before Kylo started nodding. “Okay. I’ll go. But Hux- promise me something. Don’t spend the weekend holed up in here, working and alone, okay? Call Phasma! She’s good at dragging people out of the house.”

Hux laughed at that. “Oh yeah, she is.” Then he sobered up. “I promise.”

Kylo’s arms closed around him in a warm embrace and Hux buried his face in the other’s neck and his hands in his hair.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled into warm skin and dark hair.

Kylo pulled back, even though Hux resisted, unwilling to part with that closeness. “What for?”

Hux sighed. He shrugged while at the same time running his right hand through his hair, disheveling it even further. “All of this. I’m… you shouldn’t…”

“Hey!” Kylo’s hands were suddenly on Hux’ face, holding him in place for those imploring dark eyes. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

Sure.

Hux snorted.

And Kylo kissed his forehead. Only for that cheeky, lopsided grin to emerge that Hux loved so much. “If anything than it’s my fault.”

“And how’s that, huh?”

His lover chuckled. “Well, _obviously_ I’m rubbing off on you. When we first met you would’ve never considered half the things you do now, so…”

“So what?” Hux asked back, his eyebrow raised in a playful manner. “You infected me with superstition or something? Like a disease?”

Kylo shrugged nonchalantly. “You wanted to forgo the condoms.”

For a second Hux just stared. He wasn’t sure who cracked first but before he knew it they were bursting with laughter, all chuckling and giggling and holding onto each other to not fall over.

It felt so incredibly good to laugh.

Tears were running down his face and his belly hurt after a while as his muscles protested the unfamiliar strain. And then they were kissing. Hot and hungry and eager for more. Kylo’s sweater was the first item of clothing to decorate the floor. More followed on their way to the bed. The cast made Hux clumsy and he bumped against Kylo more than once. It wasn’t fair since Kylo took so much care to not irritate his numerous bruises, and yet, the brunet didn’t seem to care.

At all.

 

* * *

 

 

The house was eerily quiet without Kylo.

And cold.

Just as much as he’d rejoiced to come home after work to a cat-free house he missed the warm presence of his lover. He called Phasma, but she was still at the gym, working, and therefore rather terse. She laughed at him as he told her of his promise to Kylo, though. And she assured him that she knew just the thing to take his mind off of evil spirits and stuff. He was pretty sure that he wouldn’t like whatever she had in mind, but he was looking forward to her company and her refreshing no-nonsense attitude. ‘I’ve got some clients for personal training in the morning, but I’ll come by afterwards. Early afternoon?’

Hux couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d somehow become another appointment in her training schedule.

So he ordered pizza. If he had to suffer through a relentless work-out routine tomorrow than he was allowed a little indulgence beforehand. But with crossing cooking off the list there was nothing else to do but wait for the food.

He turned on the TV, sitting down on _his_ place, even though he usually slid over into Kylo’s corner when the brunet wasn’t around. It was stupid and he knew it but a part of him was all set on stubborn defiance. And anyway, restlessness drove him from the couch a short while later. He needed to _do_ something, occupy his mind and hands alike.

So he knelt down in front of the fireplace and stacked up some logs. It wasn’t nearly cold enough to warrant a fire, but he liked watching it burn. The sizzling and crackling of flames and bursting wood had always had a calming effect on him. Almost hypnotizing. Yeah, a fire would be nice.

It didn’t catch.

There was a lot of smoke and some smoldering but the wood refused to burn properly. It was probably too wet.

So he roamed around the house, looking for something to do. He randomly grabbed some items and put them back in their proper spot; he recapped the tooth paste that Kylo had left open this morning – as always. After a while he realized that he looked over his shoulder every few minutes and that his eyes traced corners and all the spots Snoke liked to sleep in.

And he stopped. His flat hand slammed against the wall, the sound reverberating in the empty hallway.

“Goddammit!”

Even absent that fucking cat was getting to him. But he refused… he wouldn’t…

The doorbell rang. His pizza was here.

He ate in the living room, the TV on again. For a moment his eyes fixed on the liquor cabinet but he forced his gaze away and shook his head. No, that was a bad idea. And it would mean giving up. He was _not_ going to give up! He _refused_ to be brought down by a stupid _cat_!

An absent cat of all things!

Kylo called. He sounded busy and was on his way to dinner with some guys from a big publishing company that his boss wanted him to meet, yet he still made the time to check up with him. Hux assured him that he was fine. Because he was!

The feeling of being watched remained, though.

So he went up into his office – he _wasn’t_ hiding! – and got some more work done. There was still some stuff he needed to catch up on thanks to his involuntary day off. And there was the heads of departments meeting next week that he needed to be ready for.

It’s late when he finally trudged down into the kitchen, his eyes stinging from the hours in front of the screen. And tiredness. With a fond smile he made himself a cup of tea – Kylo had prepared little bags of his special mixture for him together with an overly cheesy ‘I love you’ note. He wasn’t sure if the tea was working or if he even believed in such stuff, but it came from Kylo. It was his way to help. And he was getting used to the unique flavor.

With the steaming cup in hands he slowly strolled from one room to the next to close the blinds for the night. He forcefully pushed away the uneasy feeling in his guts and relaxed with every new sip of warm tea. The living room was the last on his unwritten list.

He pushed the thin curtain back to get to the cord for the blind.

And Snoke stared right at him.

Through the French window.

Hux jumped back, stumbled against the couch, one hand pressed against his chest. Blood was rushing in his ears, forced through tiny capillaries at an insane pace by his frantically beating heart.

Something shattered. And he flinched, his eyes hectically checking the window. But it was still intact. Still intact. He couldn’t get in.

Snoke just sat there, on the porch, barely visible in the dim light from the room and stared at him. With that big yellow eyes. Scrutinizing. Reproachful. Threatening.

Hux’ desperate panting receded a bit. He was safe in here. The sneaky little monster had just given the Irish guy the slip. Just th…

Snoke moved. He got up, tilted his head for a moment then went off.

In the direction of the front door.

The front door with the cat flap that Kylo had installed two months ago.

With big eyes and spurned on by that cold dread in his veins he ran. He pushed himself off the couch and scrambled for purchase with his socked feet on wooden floorboards. He almost crashed once, rebalanced quickly and hurled himself through the door into the hallway. Without thinking he grabbed the next best thing that was big and heavy enough – the palm tree in the pot in the corner – and pushed it in front of the flap.

And no second too late.

The metal flap moved, but clacked against the pot after less than half an inch. He could spot black fur through the tiny gap.

It took about five more tries until Snoke gave up.

It took almost ten minutes until Hux managed to get up off the floor. And another ten for him to stop shaking and for his rational mind to get the upper hand again.

The cat was outside. It had no other way to get into the house.

Snoke couldn’t get inside.

A bit mechanical he cleaned up the shards from the cup, closed the blinds and made sure again that the flower pot was heavy enough and in a good position.

He wanted to call the Irish guy, tell him to fetch the cat again and don’t let it out of his sight this time. But for one thing he felt silly doing that and for another thing he didn’t have the guy’s number anyway.

So instead he brushed his teeth, splashed more cold water into his face than was necessary for a wash and went to bed. Not to sleep – he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to sleep that night – but for the comfort the bed brought. It was warm and it smelled like Kylo.

He sat there, huddled in blankets and stared at the door. Should he lock it?

No! He wouldn’t! That would mean Snoke had won!

The cat is outside. It can’t get in. And he wouldn’t lock himself in within his own home! He’d allowed this fear enough control over him already; he wouldn’t cave in this time. He still had some pride left and this was where he drew the line.

So instead he leaned against his pillow, the one Kylo had stuffed some herbs into, and hugged Kylo’s pillow against his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. His thoughts were racing, jumping to the image of Snoke on their porch over and over, circling around the same issues again and again while at the same time he actively tried to stop himself from thinking altogether. To clear his mind.

It was exhausting.

Somewhere along the way he fell into a restless sleep. 

He dreamt again that night.

He’s running through a house. Running from room to room, but there’s no way out. No doors. No windows. There’s a hissing sound and he’s shaking with fear. He ran again. Away from the shadow behind him. Small and black. And the hissing. He stumbled around a corner and the house is gone.

He’s surrounded by mirrors instead. His panicked reflection staring back at him out of big eyes. But they weren’t the only eyes. There’s a pair of yellow-green eyes, big and surrounded by darkness. He turned, hastily, but Snoke wasn’t there. Just another reflection of those eyes.

They were everywhere.

Surrounding him.

He was trapped. Truly trapped.

One pair of eyes was different. They moved, together with a shadow. Coming closer. Growing taller. And taller. Into the shape of a thin men. A man with gleaming, yellow eyes.

Laughter sounded. Dark. Sinister. And oh so amused.

His legs gave way and he crumpled to the floor. He was crying. Begging. Hugging himself. But the shadow moved closer and closer. He pressed his eyes shut, frozen with fear.

The air turned cold all of a sudden. Bit into his skin like ice.

And something touched his cheek. The dry tips of old, leathery fingers.

Hux screamed.

 

* * *

 

 

He jolted awake, gasping for breath. He reached up to his cheek, wiping a shaking hand over sweaty flesh. But he couldn’t wipe the memory of those fingers away. It clung to him, just like the feeling of cold. He pressed his eyes closed, concentrated only on the feeling of his own fingers on his face.

He groaned.

Still fighting to get his heart and lungs back under control he rolled over onto his back, rubbing the sweat from his brow with his hand.

And he opened his eyes again.

And looked directly at Snoke.

The Snoke from his dreams. Thin and old and _human_.

Hux screamed.

And Snoke smirked.

It was him. But it couldn’t be him. He was dead. He was _dead_.

But he was there. At the foot of his bed. Translucent and yet that bald, disfigured head had never looked more real to him. Dark eyes narrowed, gleaming with anticipation. And malice.

This wasn’t happening.

This _couldn’t_ be happening.

This was impossible.

Snoke moved. Floated forward, part of him just gliding through the foot end of the bed. He leaned forward, slowly tilting into a horizontal posture.

That finally did the trick. Hux scrambled backwards, kicked his feet against blankets and mattress, anything to push himself further away from this impossible thing. Snoke came closer and closer, his lips drawn into a smug grin.

Hux pushed himself aside to get out of the bed. To run. To _just run_.

But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t look away from those eyes. They held his gaze. So dark and vicious and _hungry_. And he just _couldn’t look away_. He tried. But his muscles didn’t obey him anymore. Not his eyelids. Not his neck. Not anything else.

He couldn’t move.

His breaths came fast and shallow, rasping in the silence of the room. Only accompanied by the thudding staccato of his heartbeat.

Snoke moved again.

With wide eyes he watched in utter terror as this – ghost? – reached out a hand towards his chest. Long, thin fingers. And he knew how they would feel like. Like dry, old leather. He wanted to scream, but the hand touched his chest, slipped _into_ his chest. And his breath hitched. Stuttered. And set in again, even faster than before.

He could feel it. An unspeakable coldness that clamped around his heart. And he thought he could _feel_ that leathery touch against his frantically beating muscle.

This couldn’t be happening.

Hux wanted to close his eyes. To curl up, close his eyes and just wait until everything was over.

His eyes wouldn’t obey.

And that horrible smile grinned down at him. It came closer. And closer.

Until thin lips touched his. So soft the touch was barely there, like silk just far less substantial.

And the laugh from his dreams was back. Right there in his mind. Smug and ugly. And a voice. Dark, like velvet and so very, very cruel.

_You’re mine!_

There was a pressure in his mind. Pushing in and in and in. It hurt. God, it _hurt_. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. He was squashed by this cold and unrelenting force. And the laugh grew louder. Victorious.

_You’re mine! And so is Kylo!_

No! Nonononooo!

The pressure increased and from the corner of his eyes he could see the ghostly form of Snoke as he sank down on him. _Into_ him. So cold. So incredibly cold.

A tear slipped from his eyes.

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know... really nasty cliffhanger.  
> I'd say I'm sorry... but I'm not. Not really ;)
> 
> I'd love to know what you think! :D


	3. The Last Puzzle Pieces

_Last time..._

There was a pressure in his mind. Pushing in and in and in. It hurt. God, it _hurt_. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. He was squashed by this cold and unrelenting force. And the laugh grew louder. Victorious.

_You’re mine! And so is Kylo!_

No! Nonononooo!

The pressure increased and from the corner of his eyes he could see the ghostly form of Snoke as he sank down on him. _Into_ him. So cold. So incredibly cold.

A tear slipped from his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Something burst all of a sudden. Light spilled out. Only it wasn’t. It came from within.

Something inside of him had flared up. And Snoke screeched.

The pressure relented a bit, then it attacked again, forcing itself deeper inside, clamping around his heart. His mind.

Again the light exploded. As well as pain. And anger. But it wasn’t Hux’. It was Snoke’s.

The ghost screamed.

And then the pressure was gone. His mind and body free again.

Hux curled up into a coughing fit, his hands clutched to his chest and his hammering heart. The coldness lingered but he could _move_ again. The coughing died down and he started shuffling, eager to get away. But his body was shaking so hard he couldn’t get up. He couldn’t…

Snoke was still there.

“No! No, please,” he begged, mumbled, pleaded. His gasping breaths turned into frightened sobs. His shaking got even worse.

The ghost was back at the foot of the bed, hovering. Bent forward with his thin arms and hands pressed against the sides of his head he should look weak and defeated. But he didn’t. Not one bit. There was a gruesome viciousness to his gaze that petrified Hux. Uncontrollable rage distorted the scarred face into something that wasn’t human anymore.

Hux tried to push himself up again, tried to flee, to jump out the window, _anything_ to get away. His arms trembled so hard he fell back against the mattress.

Snoke was on him again before he even had time to blink.

Only it was different this time.

No hypnotizing gaze, no pressure against his mind.

No.

This time Snoke was besides himself with rage. His skeletal fingers closed around Hux’ throat, leathery and strong and _so very real_. Ghosts shouldn’t feel this real.

Hux screamed.

And his screamed died seconds later as unrelenting pressure cut off his air supply.

Something snapped within him. Or clicked into place. He wasn’t sure. And he didn’t care. The absolute terror that held his mind captive shifted and switched into survival instinct.

He threw his arms up, his legs, wielded his cast like a club, kicked and punched at everything he could reach, his muscles his to control again, fuelled by a new wave of adrenaline. But there was nothing to fight against. Snoke’s body dissolved under his fingers like thick mist. As real as the fingers around his neck, as unreal and insubstantial was the rest of him.

His panic spiked, completely off the charts now.

He couldn’t breathe.

He scratched at the fingers directly, but Snoke was unimpressed. His arms began to feel heavy. Black spots were dancing in front of his eyes. Snoke’s face darkened and blurred, his inhuman grimace of fury the last thing he’d ever see.

Then a noise. High and terrifying.

Screeching.

Hissing.

Something fell onto the bed next to him.

And suddenly the fingers were gone.

He gasped for breathe, gulped down air as if it was the sweetest thing on earth. And it was.

Something fell onto his chest, pressed down hard and vanished again.

The coughing was so much worse this time when it started. There was no air in his lungs, he needed to breathe and at the same time his body forced even more of it out instead of in. He curled up and suddenly he was falling. His head knocked against something and his limbs crumpled haphazardly onto the floor. He pressed his hands up against his chest and coughed on until finally, _finally_ it got better and he could _breathe_ again.

And he remembered Snoke.

Hectically he looked up, the room only dimly lit by the streetlights outside. Everything was blurry. He wiped the tears from his eyes. And stared.

There was Snoke, their Snoke – _the cat_! Standing at the foot of the bed, back arched high, tail raised and he hissed in such a threatening way as Hux had never heard before.

And the ghost drew back. Just as angry as before, maybe even more, but there was something else in his expression as well: fear.

Their gazes met, Snoke’s eyes narrowed and one of his skinny fingers lifted and pointed right towards him. And Hux understood the threat quite clearly. This wasn’t over.

Then he was just gone.

Vanished into thin air.

Hux still stared when he suddenly felt a touch against his fingers. He startled, flinched away, only to see the cat sitting there, carefully nudging him with one of its paws, looking at him.

 

* * *

 

 

Hux came back to his senses in the living room, wrapped to the chin in a blanket and huddled into Kylo’s corner of the couch, the cat snuggled against him.

He didn’t remember getting there. He didn’t remember moving. And he certainly didn’t remember grabbing his phone along the way, but it was there, clutched in his right hand as if his life depended on it.

The light was on.

He had no idea what time it was or how much time had passed since he’d nearly died.

There was no emotion accompanying that thought. But there should be, right? He’d almost died. Snoke had come back. _From the dead_! Had attacked. There should be something. Fear. Disbelief. Anger. Terror. Anything.

There wasn’t.

He felt completely numb.

He stared down at the phone. 2:07 am. Kylo looked back at him from the small screen, still sleepy, his hair a total mess and an easy smile on his lips. A picture from a lazy Sunday, seemingly a lifetime ago.

The phone was at his ear before he knew what he was doing. It rang. And rang.

Hearing Kylo’s voice made his breath hitch and he flinched. It was only the mailbox. Hux didn’t know what he wanted to say, didn’t know what to say at all, but it didn’t matter anyway. The only thing that left his lips was a pitiful noise somewhere between croaking and wheezing. And it _hurt_! He flinched even harder and his fingers twitched towards his aching neck but he stopped, didn’t dare touching it.

He ended the call.

But hearing Kylo’s voice had pierced that numbness. He wanted Kylo to hold him. He wanted to crawl into those strong arms and hide there forever. He wanted to hear Kylo’s deep voice. He wanted Kylo. _Needed_ him. To make him forget.

But Kylo was miles away. Sleeping.

Phasma was probably sleeping, too.

He tried it anyway. His phone nearly slipped his fingers; his hand was shaking so badly. He shouldn’t call, it was in the middle of the night. He called nonetheless. He couldn’t talk but he’d never be able to type a text, shaking like that.

It rang a long time.

When a sleepy, disgruntled voice grumbled into his ear he gasped with relief – and curled around himself as the pain hit.

“This better be important…”

He wanted to tell her, but his throat hurt so much.

“Hux, come on, it’s the middle of the night. Talk or I’ll make you pay for this tomorrow!”

His breathing sped up. This wasn’t helping. This…

The cat meowed. He stared at it then got distracted by Phasma. Her voice suddenly wide awake. “I thought that cat was supposed to be gone. Hux? Talk to me!” There was a pause that he didn’t know how to fill except for a painful croaking sound, willing her to understand. “Hux? Are you alright? Hux!” Another pause, this one shorter. “I’m on my way, you hear me? I’m on my way!”

 

* * *

 

 

The sudden stop of a motor and the sharp banging of a car door rang loudly through the quiet of the night. A fist impacted with the door in a heavy sort of knock.

“Hux?! I’m coming in!”

He had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like he’d just ended the call. It felt like he’d been sitting here for days.

Keys jingled softly then the door opened. He heard her calling. Heard her footsteps. “Hux?”

Something moved. He looked down and saw that Sno… the cat had jumped down from the armrest right next to him. It circled around the table, carefully out of the way of the intruder and hopped onto the couch again at the other side.

“Shit! Hux, what- what happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

He blinked up at her. She was really here. Big and tall and hair a mess. She knelt down right in front of him, getting level with him. Her eyes were wide and they danced around, uncertain where to look first, taking him in, checking him over from head to toe. Her lips stood apart, twitching, as if to say something but not sure what. He’d never seen her this concerned before. She reached out a hand, slowly, carefully, and placed it on his knee.

And with that touch it suddenly all became real.

He could feel the shaking worsen, could feel it taking control of his shoulders, his hands, his jaw. His vision got blurry as hot tears started to spill from his eyes. Phasma said something, but he couldn’t make out the words. Not with the rushing in his ears and the spasms that wracked his chest and forced agonizing sob after another past his tormented throat.

Strong arms wrapped around him and he leaned into the embrace, leaned into her to hide, to feel safe again. She held him close, rocked him and mumbled something into his ear. He didn’t know what it was that she said, but her voice alone made him shake with relief.

After a while his energies were spent. His tears dried, his muscles became slack, only twitching every now and then in a weak memory of his former terror. And his throat was on fire. He just wanted to sleep. To forget everything and vanish into blissful, dark oblivion. But life wasn’t that kind to him.

“Hux? What happened?” A hand stroked through his hair, trying to rise him from where he kept his face buried underneath her chin. Her voice was so much softer than he’d ever heard before. And it trembled. “Red? Please talk to me. You’re scaring me.”

Gently she pushed him away from her to get a look at him. One of her big hands kept rubbing along his back. Since his hands weren’t clutching the blanket anymore it slipped down over his shoulder and pooled around his elbow.

The reaction was instantaneous. Too fast for him to comprehend right now.

Her fingers curled around his shoulder, the grip surprisingly rough after her gentle ministrations. Her other hand grabbed his chin and pushed it up and to the side. He winced.

“Who did this?”

He started shivering again. Although he couldn’t tell if because that question made him think of Snoke or because of the quiet, icy and absolutely murderous tone of her voice.

“ _Who did this, Hux_?” She leaned up, right into his line of sight, her eyes piercing his and his lips trembled, unsure what to do, what to say, how to react to her ferocity. Phasma took a deep breath and ran a hand through her short hair. It didn’t seem to do anything to help her gather her thoughts. She only shook her head. “I’ll kill him. I’ll kill that bastard who did this to you!” Then she looked at him again and her gaze softened and her lips set in determination. “Okay, come on, I’ll take you to the hospital. Someone needs to have a look at that.”

No!

No! No hospital!

They’d ask questions and he couldn’t answer them. If he told them what happened they’d commit him to the psych ward immediately. And if he didn’t tell them anything they’d probably call the cops or something.

“No!” It was a pathetic and painful croak, but far more effective in stopping Phasma than his weak grabbing at her arm as she stood up.

“Hux,” she said, surprised and imploring all the same. The back of her index finger traced the side of his neck, barely touching him at all and yet he flinched away. “This looks _really_ bad. You need-“

“Snoke.” God, the movement of his Adam’s apple _hurt_! “Was… Snoke.”

“ _The cat???_ ”

Hux feared going on if she was already looking at him with a mix of concerned pity, as if he’d lost his marbles. Well, maybe he had.

He shook his head anyway. “Real… one.” He could see that she wanted to object, remind him that he’s dead or something like that, but he knew he wouldn’t find the will – or the energy – to force more painful words out if he stopped now. “His… ghost… attacked…” His voice broke and his hand shot up towards his aching throat but he stopped, afraid to touch the tender flesh. Afraid to feel the proof with his own hands.

The cat was suddenly at his side again, pressing against him and looking up at him as if to ask if he was okay. He hadn’t noticed it coming closer, but he found himself enraptured by the way it rubbed its head against his blanket covered thigh. And before he knew it he reached down and stroked still slightly trembling fingertips through the soft fur of its little black head.

“I-- I thought you hate that cat.”

“Saved… me.”

Phasma just stared at him. “So, the ghost of Kylo’s former mentor attacked you and tried to kill you, but the cat you thought wanted to kill you saved you. Shit Hux! What the hell am I supposed to do with this? This is crazy! This is…”

Hux closed his eyes. Her words merged into a droning background noise, but he didn’t need to hear her words to know what she was saying. And she was right. This was crazy. But it was real as well. Right? He was too exhausted to think clearly. He’d just sleep for a while, just…

His eyes shot open, his heart pumping heavily again. He couldn’t fall asleep in here. Without regard for the pain he spoke, voice raspy and thin and so damn desperate it was pathetic.

“Get me… out of here… please?”

It took her only a few moments to settle herself again and form a battle plan. Before he knew it she helped him up and led him to her car, still bundled in the blanket and now clad in the next best boots she’d slipped onto his feet. They were Kylo’s. The moment he sat down in the car the cat jumped onto his lap, crawled partly beneath the blanket and rolled up on his thighs, head peeking out from beneath the blanket. Instinctively he curled the fingers of his left hand closer around the blanket, resting the heavy cast against his chest, while he buried his right hand into that black fur. It was so warm and soft. The cat closed its eyes and purred. _Purred_!

And with a sudden clarity it hit him: the watching, the hissing… the cat had tried to warn him!

Phasma was still outside, talking animatedly with someone on her cellphone. His eyes slipped away from her and back to the house. Somehow he almost expected to see a translucent shape behind the bedroom window. There was nothing. And yet he couldn’t look away. Not until Phasma drove on and the house vanished in the distance.  

 

* * *

 

 

The doorbell rang.

Startled by the sudden sound his head shot up and his eyes focused again. The ice-bag slipped his numb fingers and dropped into his lap. It took him a few moments to orient himself. He’d been drifting again. Tucked away in that pleasant numbness that held neither the nightmares of sleep nor the horrors of reality his mind hid away. It had started in the car and now he was doing it _again_.

Should he be worried?

Hux was sitting on the couch, in the corner, his legs tucked mostly underneath him. In the small but cozy living room of Phasma’s flat. The cat was nestled into the crook between his bottom and his feet.

There were voices coming from the door. Female voices. And he bit his lip. This was all wrong but his mind needed a moment to remember why.

Then they came into the room and Phasma stepped aside, her unease visible in her tense shoulders. Another woman came forward and sat on the coffee table, right in front of him. Older than both him and Phasma, with grey strands in her dark hair and worry lines edged deeply between her eyes and yet she held herself with this certain air of authority around her. Her dark eyes were wide awake, not at all like someone who’s just been rudely awakened in the middle of the night.

“Hello Armitage.”

What was it with Kylo’s mother and her fixation on first names that people hated to hear?

Phasma’s idea had been desperate and – in her eyes – brilliant at once: she’d called Leia Organa for help. A physician as well as someone who knew what to do if faced with stories about crazy supernatural stuff like ghosts. For once her infamous background checks on his lovers – she was such an overprotective mother hen sometimes – had paid off, because she sure as hell hadn’t gotten Organa’s number from him.

Organa scrutinized him – or his neck – by tilting her head a bit. “Your friend was right to call for a doctor. You fought one hell of a fight, judging by the scratches alone. And there’re some bruises forming. At least the swelling doesn’t look too bad. Do you have trouble breathing?”

He shook his head and so began the most unreal medical examination he’d ever experienced. But even though he’d only met the woman once – under strained circumstances to say the least – and most of his contempt against her derived from what he’d learned from Kylo he had to admit that she was good at what she was doing.

She was kind and professional the whole time, even – or especially – when he flinched away from her touch all the time, unable to shake the memory of Snoke’s leathery fingers against his neck. After a very unpleasant palpation all around his throat she injected him with a painkiller and something to calm his nerves. Then she cleaned the wounds at his neck and applied a cool, soothing balm to his throat that should keep further swelling at bay and ordered Phasma to make him some tea with honey to sooth his throat from the inside.

It didn’t take all that long and a subtle wooziness draped over his mind and body, coating him, inside and out, in a paper-thin layer of indifference. The horror of these last hours was still there, but behind a slightly opaque curtain – he could still see it yet not clear and without the sharp details the terror that held his mind imprisoned lost its edge. At the same time seeing Leia Organa sitting in front of him, caring for him, didn’t stop being weird and uncomfortable. He just stopped caring about that.

As his muscles loosened up a bit he sank deeper into the couch and pulled the blanket closer around him. The movement clumsier than he was used to. He looked up as Organa spoke again.

“Armitage, how did this happen? Phasma said you told her it was a ghost?”

Hux’ eyes flitted over to his friend who sat perched on the armrest of an armchair, still tense, then back to the serious face of Organa. Serious, but not unfriendly.

“It was Snoke,” he said after a moment and realized that the pain had dulled down to something barely noticeable. “I could feel him in my mind.” Even with the medical induced indifference running through his veins actually voicing what had happened wasn’t easy. It was as if those memories pressed their ugly faces right into the curtain, so much closer and clearer than before, just inches away and yet still, somehow, unable to touch him. “I couldn’t fight him. But Snoke could. The cat.”

He didn’t look at his best friend. He didn’t want to see her disbelief, her worry for him and his sanity. Couldn’t take it right now. Instead he kept his gaze on Organa. She seemed intrigued, sympathetic and alarmed. She _believed_ him. And although the rational part of him had assumed she would, given that Kylo had his inclination for the supernatural from her, he’d still feared otherwise. Mainly because he still had problems wrapping his own mind around it all.

Words spilled forth from his lips with increasing pace and ease. And although his recounting was disjointed, not chronological, she brought order into it with thoughtful questions. He told her everything. About the actual attack, the nightmares, his suspicions regarding the cat, his and Kylo’s argument over Snoke’s practices. Everything. Her eyes drew together more and more the longer he talked and her lips set into a thin, grim line.

The silence afterwards weighed heavy in the room. Uncomfortable and oppressing.

It took all his remaining willpower to dare a look at Phasma. If it weren’t for this sudden, strange feeling of being all alone he probably wouldn’t have dared at all.

She was white as a sheet. Her eyes blown wide in shock and such a desperate war of emotions that it hurt to look at her. She was in turmoil, he could see that. Torn between disbelief of his crazy tale and fear of watching her friend go insane. Torn between the knowledge that he never lied to anyone, that he might say the truth, that she could’ve lost him. It was all there, plain for anyone to see who knew her well.

But he wanted her to move. To come over and put her hand on his knee again. Her arm around him. Anything. He felt so alone. Marked like a leper; apart from anyone else.

He wanted Kylo!

“You’re lucky you’re still alive!”

Organa’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. But like with all cuts it meant something gave way and allowed movement. Hearing it spoken out loud Phasma took a shuddering inhale of air and stood up. Carefully she placed herself next to Hux on the couch, pulling him close.

He leaned his head against her shoulder, grateful beyond words for the touch. The closeness.

“From the sound of it I’d say you’re right. He wanted to take your body for his own purposes. I’m curious what stopped him. Maybe…” Her gaze drifted off just as her mind until she shook herself out of it and looked at him again. “That failure angered him. But for an evil spirit like Snoke to be able to manifest enough for actual physical contact… it’s quite disconcerting. A spirit is only an echo; it should never be this strong in the realm of the living. You’re lucky the cat interrupted him. It saved your life!”

“But how?” That was the question that nagged him for a while now, among many others. Yet it was easier to focus on that one than the knowledge that Snoke actually _had_ tried to steal his body.

Organa smiled. It did nothing to dispel the alarm in her eyes. “Cats have a close connection to the world beyond. Your little friend here probably felt the spirit all this time, clinging to the house – or you in particular. That’s why he acted so hostile towards you. But cats are also considered guardians of the spiritual order. Ghosts that linger can’t stand their touch.”

So Sn… the cat had reacted to the strange presence, had probably tried to warn him or tried to protect him all this time. He’d just misunderstood the message.

He tried to think back, tried to recall it all: the moments the cat had hissed at him or scratched him as if it didn’t want him close. The way the cat stalked him, probably keeping tabs on that strange feeling it got from him. Those very few moments it acted normal around him, even played with him. The spirit must’ve been elsewhere at the time. The countless times it had sat at his bed, watching him fight his nightmares.

Wait… where the nightmares also Snoke’s doing?

And he remembered the stairs. Focused on every detail his mind could grasp. The hissing from the cat had come from his left when his foot had already met the obstacle. It couldn’t have been the cat that had tripped him. What then? A crease in the carpet? Or had Snoke manifested himself already before last night? Judging from the cat’s reaction the evil spirit had been involved somehow.

He wondered how the cat had come back into the house. How it even knew that he needed its help.

Maybe he would never know.

Hux reached down towards the animal that still warmed his feet, careful with his cast, and petted the little, brave guy. The cat leaned into his caresses and stretched lazily. He sagged heavier against Phasma, his head drowsy. It was suddenly hard to keep his eyes open.

“Get some rest!” Was that Phasma or Organa?

Before he knew it hands were guiding him down until he was lying on the couch, covered in warm blankets. The cat gave an indignant meow as it was chased from its spot but instead it curled up against his belly. Hux closed his eyes with a small smile on his lips, feeling safe with the ball of black fur close to him.

The last thing he heard before exhaustion claimed him was the women talking softly. Something about a key and a pen.

Or Ben?

 

* * *

 

 

Hux woke up again abruptly to the remnants of a shrill ringing and an abundance of loud voices. Groggily he rubbed his eyes and sat up. The pain around his neck was back, but not as bad as yesterday. It took him a moment to make sense of the bright daylight that filled the room: it had to be at least noon.

He didn’t get a chance to dwell on that, though.

Footsteps came closer. Heavy and hurried and then Kylo was there. All tall and pale and clothes askew, a whirlwind of energy, practically radiating urgency. And worry.

“ _Hux!_ ”

And then his relief morphed into shock and horror – and guilt? – as his eyes fell on Hux’ neck and the next moment Kylo was there, on the couch, holding him in his arms, shaking hands checking every accessible inch of him while pressing him against his chest and keeping up a constant stream of murmured ‘oh my God, oh my God’. It was overwhelming and too much and exactly what he’d wanted – what he’d needed – from the beginning.

Hux practically melted into the embrace. Into the safeness of his lover. And for the first time in hours he truly relaxed.

“I’m alright,” he whispered against Kylo’s neck, inhaling the scent of true safety. Of comfort. And he noticed that he meant those words. He _was_ alright. He’d survived, he had Kylo back at his side and he finally knew for sure what was going on. What he was facing. It might still be ways out of his league – or comprehension – but simply knowing what he was up against let him gather himself.

Kylo pulled away after a moment, his hands on Hux’ face and shoulders, never letting him go completely. “What happened?”

“You’ve been deceived.”

The answering voice came from the door and Kylo’s head shot up immediately. “ _Mother?!_ ”

To say that his lover was pleased to see her would be a blatant lie. Even after Phasma explained her presence to him. Still, he stayed calm, held Hux close and thanked both woman for their help after he’d learned the whole story of last night.

“I’ve been to your place,” Organa said, surprising Hux just as much as those words pissed Kylo off. “I know of those rituals, Ben. I’ve been to your room. I saw your notes and I found some things. Troubling things that made no sense. I asked Luke for his opinion. We think you were deceived by Snoke.”

Hux could feel his lover’s tension growing ever since she’d called him Ben. Kylo hadn’t been Ben since he’d joined the Knights of Ren. He hated that name, the memories attached. But Hux wasn’t up to do anything about it. His attention focused solely on that last sentence. “How?” he asked instead of Kylo.

“We believe Snoke lied to you about the purpose of the rituals. They were made to look like rituals of passing and cleansing, but some things don’t fit and we think they were intended to strengthen his hold on this realm up to a point where he could physically interact and use his powers here. If the rituals had been completed… Snoke would’ve succeeded and Armitage would be gone.”

WHAT?

Hux could only stare. His heart was pounding, his hands grabbing for the next best thing of Kylo he could reach.

Kylo had helped Snoke. Unwillingly, he was dead sure about that.

Snoke had used Kylo the whole time, had played them both. _The whole time_. It had been Snoke’s plan to take his body all this time. That had been the reason for those scrutinizing glances that had sent shivers down Hux’ spine. What other plans had that bastard pursued?

“No! I can’t… no. Snoke wouldn’t… It can’t be… but…”

The defiant stuttering drew Hux out of his musings and made him look at his lover instead. Kylo was falling apart before his eyes. His defiance dissolving in a pitiful way, making room for disbelief and betrayal. And guilt. So much guilt.

Kylo pulled back, away from him, hiding his face behind a shaking hand, only his eyes were visible above. “Oh God. I did this! I… I’m _so sorry_ , Hux!”

Hux wouldn’t acquiesce in Kylo distancing himself. He pulled at the sweater that was still partly clutched between his fingers until they were close again and he could wrap his arms around the brunet.

“Don’t!” he whispered, afraid that speaking louder would cause actual pain instead of mere discomfort. “Wasn’t you. Snoke did this! He wanted you to himself. I could feel it, when- when he was in my head.” He shuddered at the memory. And the confession just slipped his lips. “It was horrible.”

Kylo’s hand was suddenly in his hair and his voice right in his ear. “But you held him off. Somehow you held him off.” Pure amazement colored the deep rumble of his voice. “How?”

Hux knew that that last question wasn’t addressed to him. He was the last person to know anything about this stuff and this was one thing he’d been wondering himself. How indeed? What had that light been and why had it repelled Snoke?

“I think I know the answer to that,” Organa said. She was smiling now and it did wonders to her face. It thawed the sternness from the inside and actually offered a glimpse of something more underneath. “Armitage told me about the tea you prepared for him. I take it you still add finely grained crystals into your mixtures? The herbs alone wouldn’t have been enough to keep a strong spirit like Snoke out, but enhanced with the crystal’s power and consumed over three nights in a row… You might have been tricked into causing this but you’re also the one who saved him.” She nodded into Hux’ direction. “You and the cat.”

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m sorry you miss the book fair.”

“Don’t be stupid! It doesn’t suit you!”

“But-“

“Hux! I don’t care! I’m just glad that you’re okay.”

They sat on the couch, Kylo in the corner, one leg pulled up the other dangling down, and Hux lying in between them, resting against his lover’s broad chest clad in an ill-fitting training suit and socks from Phasma. It was late afternoon and Phasma had vanished into the kitchen with the excuse of washing the dishes from their earlier meal, but Hux knew she needed time alone to process all the crazy stuff she’d been dragged into.

Organa had left to prepare some things together with her brother Luke, but not after imploring Hux to head for the hospital the moment he got trouble breathing. She’d then talked a long time with Kylo, going over every detail of his rituals, and they’d deduced a way to reverse it. To banish Snoke’s spirit for good. It wouldn’t be easy and it would need all three of them – Solo, Organa and Skywalker together – and Hux refused to think about it. He also hated to see the submissive version of Kylo that just went with what his mother told him out of shame and guilt and gratefulness. And he really didn’t want to think about the dangers involved in their plan.

Not right now.

A black ball of fur jumped onto the other end of the couch out of nowhere and the cat moved closer with its usual grace. Until it got distracted by the fringes of the blanket. It flopped down right then and there, falling halfway across Hux’ feet and rolled on its side, its paws and teeth snatching at the fringes.

Kylo laughed. It rumbled deep in the chest right behind Hux. And Hux smiled. This felt good. Just normal, not crazy at all. Just two guys cuddling in the afternoon, watching their cat being silly.

“Maybe we should buy him a blanket like this one,” Kylo suggested. “He certainly earned it. Huh? What do you think, Snoke? You want one?”

Hux cringed. He leaned to the side a bit so he could turn his head and look at Kylo. “Don’t—don’t call him that.”

Kylo frowned then looked between Hux and the cat and in the end he scratched his slightly stubbly cheek while shrugging. “Yeah, he could really need a new name. Any ideas?”

“I don’t know,” Hux admitted. “Tiger? Oh don’t ask me, I’m horrible at naming thi… _ouch_!”

He pulled his foot back in reflex as he felt sharp teeth penetrating through his sock. It took a little shaking, though, to actually dislodge the over-excited cat that still clung to his foot with its paws. For some reason his foot seemed to be far more interesting that the fringes.

“You devious little bastard! So you _still_ like biting me, huh?!”

Hux pointedly ignored the chuckles from behind him and watched the cat instead. It rolled on its other side and dabbed against his foot the whole time as if playing with some prey. It pulled closer and opened its mouth with gleefully shining eyes. He was ready to pull away again but there was no pain this time. Instead the cat simply gnawed happily at a protruding part of his sock.

Kylo’s head was suddenly right next to his, nudging him softly. “Why don’t we call him Chewie?”

“Are you _serious_?”

Laughter bubbled up in his chest, so unexpected and good after everything and he just knew that they would be alright.

Yeah, together, the three of them would be alright!

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you there'd be a happy ending!
> 
> And yes, I know, it's a partially open end - at least on the Snoke front. On the other hand, I think between Kylo, Leia und Luke they should be able to get rid of one evil spirit, especially since Kylo has one hell of a reason to.
> 
> I hope you liked it anyway!  
> And if you didn't that's also okay.   
> I'd be happy to hear your opinion either way! :D


End file.
